Paralia – Katerini, Greece, or how dramatic can changes be in the ...

394 Georgios Zografos, Alex Deffrer
was mentioned that the dependence on tourist agencies is a structural problem for the
destination.
It was quite interesting to find out that the vast majority of people believe that all those
problems are interrelated. Fifty percent believe that there is a medium degree of
interrelationship between all those problems, while a significant 38% thinks that the
interrelationship is very strong. That finding shows that people living and working in
Paralia are knowledgeable about the context of the tourist product and its dependence
on issues such as the resources.
Most people think that the beaches, proximity to the main transport networks and low
pricing policies are the main advantages of the destination. Almost half of them believe
that the large number of hotel units and great opportunities for amusement are equally
important to the factors mentioned above. It was also mentioned that a key advantage is
the proximity to Mount Olympus and to several historical sited such as the monasteries
of Meteora and the complex of Ancient Royal Macedonian tombs in Vergina.
As far as the disadvantages of the destination are concerned, 78% think that the
absence of green areas and the extended urbanisation are the main factors. Sixtypercent
think that the erosion of the beaches inside the urban plot is a key issue as well.
The low quality of the built environment, as has been shaped by illegal buildings and
illegal labels, is an issue equally unpleasant to almost half of the respondents. It is weird
that many people who have answered in this way, since they have illegal extensions on
their own buildings and illegal labels as well. When they were asked why that happens,
they said that they do it because everybody else does. More than 33% thought that the
existence of the large number of hotels poses a disadvantage for the destination as well.
Paralia is a representative example of a Mediterranean destination which offers the four
"S"s (sea, sun, sand and sex) according to all the people who responded to the
questionnaire. Up to 44% answered that Paralia is quite a typical example of such a
destination, while the rest of them felt that it is definitely such a destination.
It is clear, due to the high percentage of people who responded negatively, that central
Greek administration does not promote the destination neither abroad nor in the interior
of Greece. The vast majority (84%) felt that Paralia is not a part of the campaign Greece
has adopted to promote itself abroad.
On the contrary, as far as promotion by local authority, they generally believe that some
efforts take place. Ninety percent of the people questioned answered that there is some
kind of productive campaign taking place in markets located in the interior of Greece.
Eighty percent or twenty-six respondents believe that the same thing happens in foreign
markets.
Concerning what should be done in order for the destination to be upgraded, there is
general agreement that infrastructure projects such as the creation of a museum or
improved traffic flow arrangements would help significantly. The same positive answers
UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY, Department of Planning and Regional Development